Time Running Out For Newsweek’s Editor Search

Since Jon Meacham left the editorship at Newsweek, the two staffers performing interim duties atop the magazine’s masthead have awaited Sidney Harman’s choice for a permanent replacement. And though the new owner said he expected to find someone by early November, Harman tells Keith Kelly at The New York Post that he will need more time.

Time, however, is of the essence at Newsweek. The acting co-editors, former managing editor Dan Klaidman and former foreign editor Nisid Hajari, have contracts that expire at the end of the year.

The 92-year-old audio magnate, who purchased the struggling publication in September, chalks up the delay to the attempts to hash out a deal involving a merger of sorts with Tina Brown, Barry Diller and The Daily Beast.

Harman admits to Kelly that the back-and-forth flirtation was an “unfortunate dalliance.” He still expects to find someone by the end of November, but the state of the search isn’t exactly promising.

“We are not at a point where I have a final candidate or two,” Harman told the Post. “But hopefully it will come to a conclusion before the end of the month.”

So, young scribes with ink-stained fingers — you still want to be Newsweek editor? Here’s your chance! If you recall, Newsweek‘s active social media arm posted this video to its Tumblr last week, asking you — yes, you! — to put your hat in the ring for its editor search. But you’ll have to beat all of our potential candidates to the punch. Good luck!